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Friday, November 22, 2013

Randall School Project Moving Forward

At Monday’s ANC 6D meeting, the commissioners unanimously
gave qualified support to the latest plans for the Randall School site redevelopment at Half and I streets.
A few outstanding items still need to be spelled out, including a community benefits
package and a construction management plan. Also this week, the Historic
Preservation Review Board (HPRB) gave unanimous approval to the planned unit
development. A contemporary art museum will be located in the original 1906
center building - the first floor of the museum will be used as a community
cultural space that’s open to the public, with a library, café, an art gallery
featuring local artists, auditorium, and meeting space. Other arts-related uses
will be located in the west wing – perhaps a culinary school. A restaurant with
outdoor seating will be in the east wing (both wings were built in 1927). Behind
the center building, a new three-story addition will house additional
exhibition space for the art museum.Two
12-story towers with 550 residential units will wrap behind the historic
buildings and courtyard.

Some changes were made to the plans from the original PUD submission that were recommended by
the HPRB. For instance, curved windows were added to the residential addition,
as well as more balconies and transparent bridges between the wings of the
residential buildings. In addition, a glass façade has been added that will
connect the historic central building to the 3-story museum addition so the
back of the historic building will be visible. In the front of the building,
the balustrade will be restored and the retaining wall will be replaced with a
historically appropriate curb. The sidewalk will slope downwards toward the
entrance to the central building while the sidewalk will slope upwards to the
other two I Street buildings.

The Telesis/Rubell team will meet with the Zoning Commission
on December 2nd. At the ANC meeting,
Marilyn Melkonian from Telesis stated that once the development team gets
approval from the Zoning Commission, that construction may begin in 2014. The
first phase includes the historic buildings, museum addition, and one of the
residential buildings.

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